Central Otago has breathtaking landscapes and cycling is a good way to take them in. Cherie Sivignon goes for a ride.
It was snowing the first morning of our planned three-day cycle journey through stretches of Central Otago. A strong wind was also whipping across the plains, blowing with it a healthy dollop of concern for our wellbeing.
We weren’t worried. Coated in a thick layer of blissful ignorance along with our thermals, we assured the organisers of our spring sojourn that we would be fine.
Those organisers were a little uneasy at sending three middle-aged women, who confessed they weren’t bike-fit, into the windswept and, in places snowy, countryside.
One of these women, Danette Buchan, hadn’t been on a cycle for more than 10 years.
Part of our bravado was due to the fact that we were to negotiate those off-road cycleways atop electric bikes. We chose ebikes because we weren’t cycle fit. As office-based employees and busy mums, we struggled to find time in our schedules to get on bikes.
However, we did want to experience key rides that snake across a swathe of the landscape – the Roxburgh Gorge Trail, the Clutha Gold Trail and the original ‘‘great ride’’, the Otago Central Rail Trail – three of 22 Great Rides across New Zealand.
Representatives of fellow itinerary planner, bike hire and transport provider Trail Journeys transferred our luggage to Ophir and us to Ranfurly.
After donning our gloves and helmets, we started what turned out to be a 60.9km trip because of little side jaunts. The first stage took us across the vast Maniototo Plain to Wedderburn, and then on to Oturehua in the Ida Valley. With magnificent views of the snow-covered Hawkdun Range, we tested the bikes’ capability along some of the long stretches of mostly deserted trail.
My Merida eSpresso 600 had three pedal-assist settings – eco, trail and boost. I could also turn it off, in which case the cycle would function as a regular bike, moving under my steam only.
However, when one of those settings was engaged, I got much more out of my efforts. In the boost setting, it felt as if I was being pushed by someone running behind the bike. That meant I could tackle the hilly sections without getting puffed or having to walk. It also made bearable those tough headwinds in the exposed areas on the first day.
The landscape was gorgeous and varied. Some of the early morning snow was still on the ground around the 618-metre highest point of the trail. We cycled over hills, across valleys and through farmland dotted with lambs.
Poolburn Gorge was a highlight. The trail cuts through schist rock bluffs at that point, and provided welcome shelter from the wind. We walked across the 108m-long Poolburn Viaduct, taking in the view 37m above the Ida Burn waterway. We also walked through the two tunnels that followed.
From there, it was pretty much downhill to Lauder, where the wind found us again. My battery died 2km after Lauder, about 7km short of our destination. It was on an incline, of course. Fortunately, after the incline, the terrain for the rest of the trip was fairly flat.
Despite having padded cycle pants, plus gel saddles and covers, our rumps were sore and we were pleased to reach our accommodation for the night in the beautiful, renovated Pitches Store, which dates to the goldmining era.
Lovingly restored and reopened in 2012, Pitches